INUIT EXERCISES
A – exercises
1. Draw a map of the world and then color in those areas where the Inuit live today.
2.1 Where is the oldest known Inuit settlement (indicate this clearly on your map)?
2.2 Write a short history of the Inuit (use the information on their religion, economy and culture to do this).
3.1 What powers does the Raven have?
3.2 Who was the first inhabitant of the earth and how did this person come into being?
3.3 What did the world look like when the first inhabitant appeared on earth? What was already present at that time?
3.4 How did women come into existence and what was their task?
3.5 How did the Raven create a certain balance in nature?
3.6 How can you tell from the creation myth that the Inuit were hunters?
3.7 Raven created the world and the first humans. Was the Raven a god? Explain.
3.8 Select several gods from the Pantheon and find out more about them on the internet.
4. What similarities do you see between the Inuit creation myth and those of other cultures?
B- exercises
Look at a few websites that deal with this culture and choose one or two that have images, sounds or text that you think are useful for preparing your presentation. Make a summary or a sketch of this culture's creation myth on a piece of flip chart paper. As much as possible, try to use the illustrations and images you found on the internet.
Choose one of the following exercises:
1. The Inuit are storytellers and oftentimes songs accompany the stories. Create an Inuit song that starts with the creation of the world (the story of the Raven) and also talks about the later generations of Inuit. This means you have to invent a clear follow-up history to the creation myth. You need to invent this using the information on the website about Inuit culture, society, economy, politics, religion and history. Also make your own musical instruments to accompany your song. Stay as close to the original Inuit culture as possible.
or
2. You are a group of writers and illustrators. You want to publish the creation myth of the Inuit in printed form - an illustrated booklet for children. Try to write this booklet so that it is appropriate for young Inuit children living today. This means that there have to be elements in the booklet that they recognize in their world today. Make part of the text in the form of a dialogue, but keep the dialogues simple. When making the illustrations remember the information you have about the Inuit and their living environment (Polar landscape), what they looked like, etc.
or
3. Create a radio play about the Inuit creation myth. Tape this play on cassette for the presentation. Think about the background sounds when doing this. As much as possible, use dialogue in the radio play instead of a narrator. As part of your play include the first conversation between the First man and First woman.
C- exercises
Why did the Raven have to continue with "creation" after human beings had been created?